AIKO Urdas powered PLDT Home Fibr in stopping a five-game skid after frustrating skidding Sta. Lucia, 20-25, 25-22, 27-25, 25-18, in the Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference on Tuesday at the Muntinlupa Sports Center.
Urdas led the collective effort of the Power Hitters with 20 points, all coming from kills with a 43 percent attack rate as they pounced on the Lady Realtors 37 errors.
Grethcel Soltones came off the bench playing under the weather finishing with 10 points, highlighted by the match-winning hit in the fourth set, including nine excellent receptions.
Sasa Devanadera and Shola Alvarez added eight markers with the latter having 15 digs. Back-up setter Gel Cayuna dished out 17 excellent sets on top of three markers, while veteran libero Lizlee Pantone had 19 digs.
“Maayos yung nilaro ng lahat, si Shola maayos, si Aiko maayos offensively sana ganun siya lagi. Ganda na ng support ng iba,” said PLDT head coach Roger Gorayeb.
The Power Hitters improved with a 3-6 win-loss record, good for the No. 6 spot, but Gorayeb hopes that they keep this kind of game.
“Natutuwa kahit papano nakabawi bawi na pero talagang itong conference na to talagang nagstruggle kami sa lahat hindi ko alam bakit,” Gorayeb said. “Andami naming dapat ayusin, andami naming dapat gawin.”
The Power Hitters bucked a slow start eluding the Lady Realtors in a tight encounter in the next two sets, especially in the fourth frame where they squandered a 24-22 lead as Rachel Austero and Pam Lastimosa saved two set points before Austero committed a crucial service error and Soltones pushed her team with a 2-1 match advantage.
PLDT stepped on the gas in the fourth set with Alvarez scoring back-to-back hits for a 17-12 spread never looking back as Urdas, Soltones and Sta. Lucia’s errors ended their woes.
The Lady Realtors suffered their 10th straight loss in 11 outings despite MJ Phillips’s 19-point effort, while Austero and Roselle Baliton added 13 and 10 points, respectively.
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